Nehemiah 5:9

5:9 Then I 1  said, “The thing that you are doing is wrong! 2  Should you not conduct yourselves 3  in the fear of our God in order to avoid the reproach of the Gentiles who are our enemies?

Nehemiah 6:19

6:19 They were telling me about his good deeds and then taking back to him the things I said. 4  Tobiah, on the other hand, sent letters in order to scare 5  me.

Nehemiah 9:26

9:26 “Nonetheless they grew disobedient and rebelled against you; they disregarded your law. 6  They killed your prophets who had solemnly admonished them in order to cause them to return to you. They committed atrocious blasphemies.

1 tc The translation reads with the Qere and the ancient versions וָאוֹמַר (va’omar, “and I said”) rather than the MT Kethib, וַיֹּאמֶר (vayyo’mer, “and he said”).

2 tn Heb “not good.” The statement “The thing…is not good” is an example of tapeinosis, a figurative expression which emphasizes the intended point (“The thing…is wrong!”) by negating its opposite.

3 tn Heb “[should you not] walk.”

4 tn Heb “my words.”

5 tn Or “to intimidate” (so NIV, NRSV, NLT).

6 tn Heb “they cast your law behind their backs.”